Why Intel Bought Artificial Intelligence Startup Nervana Systems

Intel is bolstering its artificial intelligence efforts by acquiring Nervana Systems, a two-year-old startup considered among the leaders in developing machine learning technology. Nervana has built an extensive machine learning system, which runs the gamut from an open-sourced software platform all the way down to an upcoming customized computer chip. The platform is used for everything from analyzing seismic data to find promising places to drill for oil to looking at plant genomes in search of new hybrids. Intel intc declined to disclose the purchase price for the deal, which is expected to close in about one month. After transitioning from mainframes to PCs to servers to cloud-based data centers, computing is about to make another transition, says Intel vice president Jason Waxman, who runs the data center solutions group.…